Trumbull Mall approved as mixed-use zone

Change is coming to the Trumbull Mall.

The Planning and Zoning Committee approved two zoning amendments on Thursday night that will establish the mall’s 80-acre zone as a mixed-use district. The mall owners, Westfield, will now look to build housing on that property, but any specifics for such units require a site plan approval and vote by the P&Z. Town officials also expect to work with the mall on any proposed plans.

This zoning change was a significant topic of discussion (particularly on social media) for much of the summer, especially coming on the heels of two other nearby Trumbull housing projects recently finalized on Reservoir Ave and Oakview. 

That wasn’t lost on town officials (read First Selectman Vicki Tesoro’s statement here) or Planning and Zoning commissioners, who held multiple public hearings on the mall proposal. Most residents at those hearings expressed concerns or outright opposition. The commission weighed that feedback, but ultimately voted in favor of change.

In a lengthy discussion Thursday, P&Z Chairman David Preusch summed it up this way.“I think that our town character is not dependent on the mall,” he said, emphasizing that the mall does not define Trumbull.

“To maintain character, commercial success is critical. It is not going to remain just because we want it to. Change is coming to us. We have a chance to manage it.”

Preusch (R), Larry LaConte (R) and Donald Scinto (D) voted in favor of the amendment. Fred Garrity (D) and Tony Chory (R) voted against, but both had specific reasons for doing so (Garrity didn’t like the process; Chory has concerns about school buses disrupting Main Street traffic) and weren’t explicitly opposed to the mall being a mixed-use zone. 

The mall is Trumbull’s largest taxpayer, representing about 4% of the total budget with about $8 million paid in taxes. Preusch said this zoning change should give the mall “flexibility and also addresses some of the existing concerns already raised by the community during the public hearings.”

That includes a projected $3 million in new mall spending, in addition to the revenue brought in by new housing.

The commission also used specific language in the zoning amendment to shape the types of residents who would live by the mall. It’s a multi-family development, but it’ll be 1- to 2-bedroom units and won’t have dens, offices or similar separate rooms, per the amendment.